Best DAB radios 2019: Portable, Bluetooth, in-car

Budget, portable and Bluetooth options...

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Best DAB radios Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?'s round-up of the best DAB radios you can buy in 2019.

We still have a lot of love for the original 'wireless' – the radio. While we now have myriad options at our disposal for listening to music and accessing news, there are times when chucking the radio on just can't be beaten.

With the advent of DAB radio, internet radio and Bluetooth streaming, the radio has come a long way since its basic bedside clock integration. You can even get a digital upgrade for your car.

The list of models below is our pick of the best DAB radios we've had in for review. They all give you access to hundreds of digital radio stations, as well as a number of useful features from Bluetooth to live recording. Our round-up of radios includes budget and premium options, from dependable brands such as Pure and Roberts. Read on to tune in...

1. Roberts Stream 94i

A regular Award winner, the fantastic Stream 94i sets the bar high for DAB radios..

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The Stream 94i is a great upgrade on previous, excellent Roberts radios and includes FM, DAB and internet radio, plus Spotify Connect, wi-fi connectivity and USB playback. A basic radio, this is not.

Build quality is excellent, it looks smart and has all the functionality you could need in a radio. There's a subwoofer on the back to boost the bass, and two drivers at the front which, together, deliver great sound quality.

The Stream 94i is the complete package, and that makes it the best sound-per-pound radio we've tested.

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The Evoke H2 continues the fine work of a multiple Award-winning range, and this is the budget DAB radio to beat, offering an excellent affordable option if you just want a simple, great-sounding radio.

As well as FM and DAB radio, there's a 3.5mm input for connecting other music sources, and a headphone socket if you need to listen in silence. Ideal for a bedroom or kitchen, there's a clock, sleep timer and kitchen timer.

It's not a portable radio out of the box, but you can buy an optional Pure battery pack if you want that functionality. Available for well under £100, it's a real bargain.

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

It’s been more than 60 years since Harry Roberts took a look at his wife’s handbag and decided to design a radio in its image. And it's still going strong today.

Integrated music streaming apps sets it apart but it still has FM, DAB, internet radio and Bluetooth, too. There's a full-colour screen, a 3.5mm headphone output and aux line in, USB input and buttons for presets, playback and alarm. It can even be voice-controlled when partnered with an Amazon Alexa device. Add six AA batteries and it's a portable radio, too.

The combination of connectivity, trendy design and fine build quality feels good value for money, but it’s Roberts’ sonic presentation that makes the Revival iStream 3 an obvious choice for this budget, thanks to a warm, welcoming sonic character that's great with music and speech.

Reasons to Avoid

At this price, the Revo is head and shoulders ahead of other DAB radios. It's jam-packed with extra features, including Bluetooth, DLNA streaming and Spotify Connect, so you should be able to play music from just about any source.

We like the design, it's easy to use, and audio quality is impressive, too, with a weighty, bass-heavy sound. You have to pay for those extra features and the room-filling sound but if you want a premium radio with a whole lot more on offer than just DAB, this could be the one for you.

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

Most new cars now come with DAB radio fitted as standard, but if you have an older model you may be stuck with FM/AM. So here's a simple solution from Pure. As aftermarket in-car DAB solutions go this is a fine option, and it's simple enough for almost anyone to use. There are aux and USB inputs, too, so you can connect an iPod or smartphone.

And how does it all sound? Well that will depend massively on the quality of the amplifier and speakers already built into your car, but having experimented with three different models we can say that the Highway delivers clear, crisp and neutrally balanced sound. A good in-car DAB option.

Reasons to Buy

Reasons to Avoid

The Ruark R2 Mk3 is a gorgeous looking system packed with streaming features, thaty delivers an effortlessly musical and richly detailed performance.

It's much more of a complete music system than 'just' a DAB radio but is an option to consider if you want something more substantial. Sonically it sounds big, spacious, detailed and dynamic - a truly hi-fi sound.

There are a whole wealth of features including the ability to form a multi-room music system with other Ruark devices. If you want a serious radio system, this could be it.

8. Geneva Touring S+

Reasons to Buy

Endearing looks

Solid build

Impressive power and scale

Reasons to Avoid

Not the best display

Disappointing DAB interface

The Geneva Touring S+ is a classy-looking DAB radio. Clad in aluminium and a faux-leather material, its buttons and volume knob feel great, while that big dial on top of the radio gives a satisfying clunk when you switch it on. It's practical too: the aerial is telescopic, and its built-in battery provides around 20 hours of juice from a single charge.

One area that needs a little work is DAB reception. It scans and find stations but it's limited to showing just 99, which means some bigger stations can be missed off the list.

Sonically, the Touring S+ is solid and weighty and its tone is extremely likeable. It also sounds surprisingly composed at higher volumes, which isn't often the case with portable radios.